Suffolk committee to meet on red light cameras

The Suffolk County Public Works, Transportation and Energy Committee will vote this month on a resolution to suspend red light cameras in the county until their safety could be studied further. If it passes, the resolution will go to a vote before the full Suffolk County Legislature Oct. 3.

Resolution 1581 was introduced in July by Suffolk Legis. Kevin McCaffrey, R-Lindenhurst, calling for the suspension of the red light camera program until a thorough safety study could be conducted by the Suffolk County Department of Public Works.

A 90-minute public hearing on the matter was held Sept. 6 in Riverhead, with about 15 members of the public giving testimony.

In introducing the resolution, McCaffrey cited a recent Traffic and Parking Violations Agency study showing a 30 percent increase in rear-end collisions at red light camera intersections and an increase in accidents with injuries at almost half of the intersections.

McCaffrey noted that at one intersection in his district – Route 109 and Great East Neck Road in West Babylon – the number of accidents skyrocketed from one in 2014 to 11 in 2015.

“Whether they’re slamming on the brakes or speeding up, everyone’s behavior changes when there is a red light camera,” McCaffrey said. “When you approach one of these intersections, you forget everything you have learned – you might find yourself braking sooner than you normally would have.”

“People who have never gotten a ticket in their life are getting tickets,” he said. “If you have to slow down the video to see if it’s a violation then it’s not a violation.”
The Public Works, Transportation and Energy Committee will vote on the resolution when it meets in Hauppauge on Monday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m.